The Dreamer
by BartyJnr
Summary: Theta Sigma had a twin brother, but why is the Doctor remembering him now?
1. Chapter 1

_Bouncing along quite happily, Theta Sigma played with his little brother, Giacomo. Though Theta liked to tease him about being the little brother, they were twins and Giacomo liked to remind Theta of that simple fact. The two were the best of brothers, though, always playing, hardly fighting, never putting a toe out of line—not that it mattered. Their father just didn't seem to like them and it only got worse when their mother had started to fall ill. Was it really their fault that she was aging? That she was human? As far as Giac and Theta could see, their father should have been smarter or at least expected this to come. _

_Nights are the worst, it seems. They share a bedroom, though there's not much within it. Two beds, two pillows, two thin blankets—bedside cabinets. Everything is white and it simply feels like they're living in a hospital. The light switch is outside of their room and neither of the twins are stupid enough to even try to get up in the night. Leaving the room would leave them with bruises. They both knew that from experience._

_Lying curled up in bed one night, Giacomo is awoken by a shining, blue light. Frowning, he tries to think away the blue light, thinking it was his imagination playing with his sight again before then noticing that it was Theta's little hand wrapped around the seeming Torch. "Thete, what the hell?" _

_"S' a Torch!" Theta whispers, shining the light upwards towards his face so that Giac could see him. Rolling his eyes, Giac nods lightly. _

_"I can see that, but where the hell did you get it from?" _

_"Made 'em, didn't I!" Again with the grin._

_"Them?" Giacomo has to stop himself from jumping and yelling in surprise as the thin, stick like object bounces off of his forehead. Digging around on his bed, he finds it and switches it on, pointing it up then over to Theta, grinning lightly. "Brilliant..."_

"Doc? Doctor? You alright there?"

The Doctor frowns and shakes his head lightly, looking around with a slightly dazed look on his face before then looking towards Jack and Rose and widening his eyes slightly. "Wha'?"

"You've been awfully quiet since we came in from New York, Doctor. Are you ok?" Rose's touch to his arm sends a light shudder through him, and causes him to smile down to her.

"I'm fine, don't worry… just lost in thoughts, that's all." Though, he can't help but wonder where that thought had cropped up from.


	2. Chapter 2

The Doctor sits himself down on his bed, toeing off his boots lightly as he thinks things through. That day had been fine, up until his trip down memory lane. Since then, the simplest little things seemed to be reminding him of the home he had just-

Sighing deeply, he wonders. Why on Earth, pardon the phrase, were all these memories popping up now all of a sudden? They had Rose and the Captain worried now, thinking he needed sleep. Well, the TARDIS was doing fine right now and nothing else seemed to need repairing, even if he knows that if he looked hard enough he could find something. The thought of a little rest just seems... nice right now. Lying down and closing his eyes, the Doctor slips into memories once again.

_For the first time in a long while, Theta and Giacomo had gotten a well earned, full night's sleep, which was always nice. It was the torches, Theta was sure of it. They didn't need to be scared of things moving in the dark now, because they could just turn on the torch and see that there was nothing there. Apart from that one time that a racrost had gotten in through the window. _

_Right now, Theta was up a tree, a tall tree, hiding from his brother. Hide and seek was the greatest of games, really. All you needed to do was find a good spot and stay still and quiet. Despite those being the worst of Theta's abilities, when the skills are put to the test within this game, he can't help but slip into it, determined to win. _

_"Theta? Theta! Come on, brother, you win! I found the rest, now come on!" Could be a trick. Probably was a trick, knowing Giac. His brother was just as competitive as he when it came to games like this. It's only when he sees the rest padding around with his brother that he grins and jumps down. _

_"Ohh, look at that, Thete! You're scruffy! Ma'll have a small fit when she sees you..." Theta can only roll his eyes when his brother pats him down lightly. It's the first time he looks up for a while, the first time he notices its getting dark. _

_"Giac, we've gotta go! Come on! Never mind ma' going spare, we'll 'ave da' going ballistic if we don't run!" It takes only a few seconds for Giac to agree and make arrangements for another meet up before the twins are running for the house. Skidding to a halt outside, Giac pats at Theta's clothes again, taking leafs out of his hair before then walking in. _

_As usual, they get a light meal and sent up to bed by their mother, who, all in all, loves them to bits, but at the top of the stairs, dad's waiting. Both twins get a knock around the head before being growled at that they're grounded and to get to bed, not to return out of the room until told. Both twins see the threat and move as told, but neither think much of it, at first._

_In the bedroom, the twins get changed and lay down, chatting while watching the sun, the one they can see from their bedroom window, set. Smiling softly, Theta ducks his hand under the pillow as the darkness arrives before his eyes grow large. Sitting up, he yanks the pillow up and gives a light whimper. He looks over to see Giacomo sitting up with a pile of scrapped metal and screws as well, but Giac is staring at the doorway, where their glaring father is standing. _

_"Once more, and you'll be the broken one, boy." It's the only threat the two boys need. _

"Pity, really." The voice is rough, quite, but enough to have the Doctor jumping up, staring around his room. Spinning a full three-sixty degree's, the Doctor frowns deeply. No one. No sound at all, and even his TARDIS tells him no one has been in the room, Rose and the Captain are asleep, in separate beds. It doesn't ease the tightness within the Doctor's chest.


	3. Chapter 3

After the voice, the Doctor finds himself creeped out by the simple thought of staying in his bedroom alone and he was damned if he was going to go to Rose or the bloody Captain to kip with him. Or near him, in the Captain's case, God only knows what would happen if he actually fell asleep. Giving himself a light shake, the Doctor returns to making himself a good cup of tea with his usual three sugars and milk. Sitting himself down at the table, the Doctor starts to dip a few biscuits he had found into his tea, leaning his head to his spare hand as he munches away.

_Giacomo had his friends over again, the rowdy bunch that they were. Things had changed over the past year and a bit. Just over the age of nine now and Theta had been accepted into the Time Lord society, whereas Giacomo had taken it upon himself to blatantly refuse any knowledge towards the 'big pompous buffoons'. So, Theta automatically became the Mammy's boy, while Giacomo became the tough load and their dad still took it upon himself to batter the both of them for no apparent reason. _

_This time, however, Theta was actually trying to work, and while, yes, there was enough room in the, albeit, small house for the both of the twins to do their own thing, Giacomo seemed intent on trying to get Theta into more trouble. _

_"Oh come on, Thete, just like we used to! Stop studying for five bloody minutes!" The taunts were all good, but when one of Giac's friends take the book he was reading, Theta has to get involved. For being seen as the small one, he can be just as big and tough as his "little" brother, if he has to be. The boy ends up on the ground, Theta reclaiming his book, only to be faced by an angry looking Giacomo. "Say sorry to him, Thete." _

_"Bollocks." Theta growls in return and gives Giac a shove to get past. It only takes seconds for him to hit the floor, the smack from his brother sending him down. He stays down automatically, hearing Giac chase out all of his friends. It's only then that Theta starts to clamber back up, rubbing the side of his face. _

_"Let me see?" Giac's voice is quiet, but since Theta had thought he was gone, he jolts his back into the table. "Hey, careful..." The step forwards earns him a growl from Theta._

_"Stay away from me."_

_"Thete... come on, you know... you know I didn't mean it!" Giac frowns softly, and sure, Theta can see the truth in those eyes, but the fact still was that Giac had hit him._

_"Yeah, right," Theta grumbles, collecting all of his things and moving away, towards the stairs, "Just like dad never meant it, yeah?" While climbing the stairs, Theta turns to see his brother with his head downcast, and can't help but feel glee from his brother's guilt. Served him damn right._

"Yeah, it did." The Doctor coughs and ends up spitting out tea across the table, spinning around, half expecting to see no one again, only to come face to face with a very startled looking Rose and Jack.

"You okay, Doc?" Jack questions, the voice soft, but not like the other voice had been. Wasn't Jack then.

"Yeah, Captain, I'm fine... Jus' caught me in thought, that's all." The Doctor's glad when the human's thoughts turn to food, Rose moving to clear up the tea he had spilt, only for the Doctor to shake his head and do it himself. Wasn't fair on her, really. It starts off a few jips and jibes with Captain Jack, that the Doctor was going domestic. If truth were told, the Doctor was just glad to have his memories shoved back to the back of his mind once again.

That was all it was… right? Memories?


	4. Chapter 4

Claude - Invisible Man - New York - hoarding on the trades.

"Either of you seen my Jacket?" The Doctor asks, looking around with the look of complete confusion.

"Not in your room?" Rose asks, also taking a look around the console room, as if having the two of them looking would make it jump out and yell 'Boo' or something.

"Nah, I had it in here. Know I did. Jack?"

"Nah, Doc, not seen it. Last saw it in here when you went down under, but then I went down on the other side and when we came up for air, it wasn't there anymore." Jack grins, probably thinking of all the innuendo's he'd managed to fit into that sentence.

Tutting lightly, the Doctor sighs and shrugs his shoulders, "Nevermind, it'll turn up. Tardis is probably playing funny buggers with me again. I'll set these co-ordinates, then have a good look around." He smiles and starts his little bounce around the console room, flicking switches and telling the other two to grab some levers. After a few moments, he nods.

"There we go! All on course. Right, I'm gonna find me a leather jacket. You two can go set up in the kitchen, or whatever. It'll be a good hour before she lands."

The Doctor heads back into his room, thinking that off all the places the Tardis would send his jacket, it would be there, and grins when he sees it laying on his bed. Moving to get it, he frowns at the Tardis' grumble.

"Whats wrong with you, hmm? I get it, you don't like the jacket, but I do-! Oh…" he frowns in confusion once more, spotting the note laid ontop of his jacket. Ok, so the Tardis liked hiding his jacket, but she never ever wrote him notes.

Picking up the note, he cocks an eyebrow before sliding down onto his floor, leaning back against his bed. This wasn't just a note, this was a note he'd received a long time ago, and refused to read.

_After the hit, Theta had taken to avoiding Giacomo at all costs, spending more time at the Academy and sleeping in the dorms rather then going home on a night time. It'd been two weeks since he'd seen his brother, but that didn't seem to deter him. _

_A letter appeared every night. The same letter. Theta always sent it back with the messenger, even told the messenger to stop taking it off of his brother, but the man has simply told him he was being paid for walking back and forth between the two of them. _

_Two weeks later, and his best friend Koschei got annoyed at his brother because of the letter. _

_Then everything changed. The letter stopped. Two days later, a different letter appeared, one without a envelope, so Theta didn't have the chance not to read it. _

_'Mother has passed away. Her funeral is in four days. Father refused to tell you, incase your studies lacked. Dunno whether I'll make it there once he finds out I sent this, but I hope you will. I'll even stay out of your way, if it'll make you feel better._

_Giac.'_

Shaking his head harshly, the Doctor sniffs softly then wipes his face roughly, frowning at the fact that he'd been crying. Swallowing and looking down at the letter, he sighs deeply. Strange, that it should appear now. Maybe in one of these memories, he'd taken it back?

Though the last he remembered, he sent it back to his brother…

"Doc? You coming? We've been down for a few minutes now?" Jack's voice calls, rather too close for comfort.

Jumping up, he throws on his jacket, shoves the letter into his pocket, and dives into the bathroom, splashing some cold water over his face to clear up the tear tracks.

"Comin'!" Immediately, the Doctor winces, wishing not to have said that, when the wolf whistle comes down the hallway.

"Should've let us know! Sure me and Rose would've LOVED to help you out, Doc!" Jack's laugh bounces in the hallway, making the Doctor sigh deeply.

"Just go wait in the console room, Jack!" The Doctor shakes his head, the letter forgotten, until he looks into the mirror and jumps back.

_Please read it. _

Swallowing deeply, the Doctor practically runs from his own Tardis.


	5. Chapter 5

Claude - Invisible Man - New York - hoarding on the trades.

_His mother's funeral was a quiet affair. Well, of course it was, his mother was human, so what self respecting Time Lord would be seen here? For Rassilon's sakes, his father didn't even have the nerve to show up. _

_A _Gallifreyan_ funeral was much like a Earth one, no matter how much the Time Lords attempted to cover up the fact with Time Vortex throws and whatever. _

_Moving up to his mothers casket, Theta places a hand to it softly and prays, in as much human tongue as he had been taught by his mother, knowing she'd prefer that to the dribble that _Gallifreyan_ prays came up with. With his piece said, he gives the nod for the casket to be sent into the vortex, into a special little pocket for the dead. _

_"Wish we could'a sent her back to Earth." Theta jumps at his brothers voice from behind him, spinning to glare at the older boy. "Sorry, know I said I'd stay back, but I had to see her passing." _

_Theta just glares and moves around him, hearing the words his brother yells to him, but refusing to acknowledge them. "Thete! I'm sorry, brother! Really! Please, listen to me!" _

_It surprised Theta to see that Giac was following him, even up to the Academy gates. It was a worse fate, however, that Koschei had decided to wait for Theta returning and pretty much jumped on Giacomo. _

_Having pulled Kos off of Giac, Theta took the first good look at his brother. His face was beaten blue, one eye practically closed, and all of that part was old. Koschei's ring had caused more damage to his brothers face, but it was already beginning to heal, so it obviously wasn't a great casualty. _

_"Was that father?" Theta whispers lightly, not being able to help the guilty feeling creeping between his hearts. _

_"Not your fault. He shouldn't be a bas-" _

_"Don't, Giac. Just- Don't." As much as he hates his father, he can't deal with the amount of curses Giacomo would call him. He was still their father, just not a very good one. _

_It's at this point that Koschei gives his arm a tug, making Theta return to the Academy, only turning to see his brother limping away slowly. _

The Doctor awakes with a jolt, blinking wildly and grabbing the hand that shakes him, frowning deeply until he hears voices he recognises.

"Doc, you can't sleep on here. You'll cramp your neck up, nevermind your back and legs. Why don't you just go lay down, eh?" Jack smiles softly, but frowns and the Doctor's sudden shake of his head.

Noticing Jack's strange look he coughs and sighs, "No point, Jacky Boy. Won't get back to sleep now. Annoying dreams and all that. I'll just go for a wander, maybe a cuppa and a good book will sort me till you humans get up, ey?" He throws Jack a grin, getting up and stalking off, hoping that will settle the boy down into not stalking him in return. More and more of these memories were popping up, closer and closer together, and it was worrying the Doctor on how often he seemed to be dazing off.

After an hour or so of pacing the Tardis, he settles at the table, and pulls out the letter, sighing deeply. What could be so important about this letter, that it would haunt him throughout time? Still, he couldn't bear to open it.


	6. Chapter 6

For the past few days, the Doctor had refused to sleep, and pretty much stayed as close to Rose and Jack as possible, apart from when they slept. Apart from the night he'd managed to get them to fall asleep watch movies with him. Yes, he knew it was pathetic, hiding in his own home, but he couldn't shake the feeling of being stalked. Which was impossible. Yes, the Tardis felt like she was watching him, but it wasn't true! Sort of.

Yesterday, for example, everytime he had moved a switch on the console, and moved away from it, he'd had to come back and move it again. Four times, that switch had moved back into the off position while he'd looked away. Four times.

Then he was certain someone had laughed at him, when he'd cursed it, but it wasn't Rose's laugh, or Jack's laugh… it sounded a lot like his own, really, but he knows he hadn't laughed.

Now today, he kept feeling a hand touching his shoulder. Or his back. Most worryingly, his forehead. Sighing deeply, he took to wandering the hall ways again, waiting for his humans to awaken. In his sleepy state, the Doctor jolts at the noise of someone being in the kitchen, only to walk in and see the kitchen a mess, and the fridge door closing… by itself?

A chair shoves itself into his waist, making him double over with a grunt, before something hard hits his head, sending him to his back on the floor. Wincing and looking up, he sees bright blue eyes, before a hand covers his eyes, seemingly helping him into the darkness.

_It wasn't until his graduation that he even heard anything of his brother again. Mostly, Theta had forgotten about the things that had happened, being too busy in his studies and- well, other things too. He received a nice card from his brother, congratulating him on becoming a "smart-arse", which made Theta giggle, and Koschei frown in confusion, but none the less, it was nice for him._

_Two days later, another card came, but this time, with a key. For a Tardis. What? But he hasn't passed his test yet! Well, to be fair, he'd failed it twice, and very nearly failed his Academy years because of it, but a close encounter in the last try had proved he wasn't terrible at driving, and more just had the worst luck of any Time Lord ever, in the whole of existence. _

_Still, a key was a key, and he had to try it out. Sneaking out after hours, he moves into the "gardens" where the Tardis' grew and lived, seeking out which one this key was for. It wasn't until he got to the very end that he found the sorry looking Type 40, the oldest model going, really. Probably about ready to be scrapped, and at least 800 years older then himself, but really, he had a key, and a Tardis. _

_Moving into the Tardis, he strikes up a link with her, shivering at the feeling of the machine wriggling into his mind, seemingly making its- her home in his mind. Not that he minded. She was very gentle about it. Koschei had said that his Tardis was a evil little bugger and had very nearly ripped his mind cortex getting in there. _

_Sighing softly when she hums in his mind, he flicks some switches and sets off, smiling lightly at how easy this Tardis was making this for him. He lands by his home, and moves out slowly, smiling lightly when he sees his brother waiting there for him. _

_"Happy Birthday, Thete. I knew they wouldn't give you one, for failing, so I… got you this one."_

_"You stole it, didn't you." He frowns lightly, then strokes the Tardis' extirer, feeling her pretty much whimper in his mind._

_"They were going to kill her. Said she was too old to do her job, that she should be put down. No one wanted her, they said. I just knew you'd take to her like a fish to water." Giac smiles softly, shrugging his shoulders._

_"Theres a lot of Human slag going on there, Giac…" Its then that Theta notices the bags on the ground by Giac's feet and frowns deeply. "Whats going on, Giac?"_

_"I'm- I'm in big trouble, Thete.. I need to leave. I need to go." Giac swallows deeply, shaking his head lightly, "I know this makes this gift seem really selfish, but I dunno how to drive a Tardis, and you do, but I need to go to Earth, I need to get somewhere they'll never find me. Please, Thete, do this for me?"_

_"What've you done, Giac?" Thete whispers, putting a hand to Giac's cheek softly, "I'll get you help, you don't need to disappear!"_

_"No, Thete, its real bad. Too bad… I just need to run. Please?" _

_The look on his brothers face makes him agree, and he sets a plot to Earth, asking the Tardis for as much help as she could give him, not knowing the exact co-ordinates of anywhere on Earth yet. _

_The landing is bumpy, and he can't really tell if its his inexperience, his nervousness, or the fact that the Tardis was having to figure out where she was landing her self, but they were down. _

_Giacomo dragged his bags to the door and gave Theta a cuddle, sighing softly._

_"Sorry, little brother. So so sorry, but I can't even let you know where I am."_

_"Wha-?" Theta frowns, before gasping trying to pry Giac's strong hands from his forehead. His mind burns where his brother blocks off memories before he blacks out. _

_When he awakens, he's back at the Academy, with a lot of angry looking Time Lord officials surrounding him. Oh bugger. _

"Doctor? Oh god, Doctor, wake up, come on!" Rose cradles his head softly, rocking lightly from side to side, while dabbing something cold on his forehead. Grunting lightly, he opens his eyes, looking up at her for a second before smiling lightly.

"Maybe I should'a went to sleep, hmm?" She gives him a playful slap, before helping him up into a seat, making him a cuppa. As disturbed as the Doctor is, he can't help but feel its his responsibility to make sure Rose isn't.


	7. Chapter 7

_"I don't know how it happened! Giac gave me the key for my birthday, damn it, he sent me it, in a card. I haven't seen him!" _

_"So you haven't seen him, you have a Tardis, your brother disappears, and your father-"_

_Theta frowns deeply, looking at the Time Lord hard. They kept saying that, 'his father' then stopping, like their scared to tell him something. Sighing deeply, he wriggles in his bonds, rolling his shoulders softly before sighing as this Time Lord also walks out on him. Thats three. God his head hurts. _

_Its a long while later before Koschei comes into the cell and sighs deeply. "Your fathers been murdered. He was pretty much spread all over your old house. They think you did it. You or your brother, or both. Or better yet, your brother killed him and you stored him away some place in the Tardis he stole for you."_

_Theta stares at Koschei for a moment or two, the words taking a little while to sink into his head, before the tears run down his face. _

_"Why're you crying? I, for sure, know you hated him… you've hated both of them for a long while now! So as long as they don't find Giacomo's body someplace too, then they're not going to suspect you!" _

_"I DIDN'T KILL MY FATHER, YOU PRICK!" Theta screams at Koschei, tugging harshly at his bonds, "Search my mind! Do whatever the hell you want, you won't find it!" _

_Koschei shrugs and calls in the guards, who move to do just that. Theta screams as they tear through his memories, before pulling away and unbinding him. Stumbling, Koschei puts out a arm, but Theta shoves it away, "What makes you think I'm coming near you, again?" Theta hisses, "I trusted you, and you just thought me a murderer!" _

_"We had no proof, Theta!"_

_But Theta just runs, back to his Tardis, who locks herself up and takes off, just sitting in the Vortex and humming to him softly as he cries. _

He jolts at the tap to his ankle, swearing in many different languages before coming out from under the console, frowning at Jack.

"What?" he growls, before frowning and turning around, swallowing deeply, "Oh…"

A large overcoat had appeared over his drivers seat. A coat that belonged to none of the passengers on board. A coat none of them had ever seen before. A very dirty looking coat at that.

"It just appeared outta no where, Doc. I saw it!" Jack's eyes were wide, as if he was a little boy seeing a magic trick, "I heard it before I saw it, but it just appeared there!"

"Yeah. Things have been happening." The Doctor sighs deeply. "I think I might have a ghost from the past."

"Like Scrouge?" Rose grins at him, as she walks in, before noticing how serious he looks and stopping, "You can't be serious."

"Very." He tries to set the Tardis to scan for other life forms on board, but once again, she refuses to do so. He was obviously going to have to figure this one out himself.


	8. Chapter 8

War memories - Giac in the distance, but running from Theta when he appears -

The Doctor hadn't been feeling all too great, as of late. They'd been out on a planet, gotten arrested as per usual, but what he hadn't told the others is that something or another that they had forced the prisoners to eat was not sitting well on his system.

Blinking heavily, he sits himself down in the console room, shaking his head heavily. Great, first some ghost of his past sending messages around, and now he's going to have to explain Regeneration to them. Perfect. Closing his eyes, he practically purrs as a nice cold hand places itself on his forehead.

"Good god, brother, what've you done to yourself now?" A deep voice mumbles, fingers rubbing over his temples, just below his hairline. He thinks the voice is his own, which is strange, as the mumbling continues, "I know you'll think you're going to Regen, but your not. I've done this. Its pretty much a real bad hangover. You'll feel like you want to die, for about two days, but it'll pass. By the looks of it, you've already been suffering a good day with it. Silly boy, trying to prove to the humans that you're a strong boy." The voice tuts, before going silent.

Voices appear down the corridor, and the hand retreats, leaving the Doctor to whine softly and blink his eyes open. He swears he sees a beard disappear into thin air, before he closes his eyes against the light again.

_The war was terrible. Blood everywhere, families being torn apart. His own was safely away on Earth but all these people, watching their families be disintegrated by Dalek swarms. The screams in his head were terrible enough, nevermind to have that family link. _

_He fights his way through the masses, avoiding as much conflict as possible, before getting to the citadel. Moving through the cold corridors, he gasps at the sight of his brother coming out of the ward of injured. At his gasp, however, Gaic see's him and takes off at a run. _

_Why was his brother avoiding him? After all of these years? Maybe he really had done something wrong. Shaking that off, he moves into the room of council, swallowing deeply at all the main Time Lords in gathering. This looked way too important. Far too important for him._

Waking up sharply, the Doctor stares around the console room, seeing that coat again, but this time was different. It was hung on a mans shoulders. A man who was keeping Jack and Rose away from him.

Frowning, he stumbles up, grunting deeply and leaning against the chair heavily, until the stranger turns up at his side, offering a helping arm back into the seat.

"Sit, brother, sit." Brother? What the… oh hell. Swallowing deeply, the Doctor stares straight into a face like his own, only this one had a rather short and scruffy looking beard going on.

"G-Giac?" He mumbles softly, not completely trusting his own eyes right now.

"Yeah. Well, Giac, Claude, Richard, John, whatever rocks your boat, these days. Not unlike you, of course, _Doctor_." He grins lightly, shrugging his shoulders, watching the Doctor's eyes light up.

"Claude… as in Claude Rain? The Invisible man?" The dots join in the Doctor's mind until the point where he kicks out at the man, his brother, growling deeply, "You've haunted me for god knows how long, you little dick!"

He can't help but get even more annoyed when Claude grins and laughs at him. "Can't help it. Plus, you needed to remember the stuff before I let myself be seen. If I'd just appeared, you'd have been even more confused, hmm?"

As true as the fact was, he couldn't help but ignore it.

"If you'd read the letter like I'd asked, you would've remembered some of it quicker. The note explains that I was going to kill father, that I didn't have much choice in it, because I was getting beaten for things I didn't do, did do, didn't know about and god knows what else. It wasn't for… no reason, hmm?" Claude looks rather uncomfortable talking about this, and suddenly, the Doctor fully understands why he's went about this the way he had.

"You've been frightened I would throw you away?" the Doctor mumbles lightly, smiling softly, "Don't be daft. I knew you'd have a good reason. He was evil, I'm pretty sure he helped mother die a little sooner. He was angry with me because I got higher in the council then he ever would, and angry at you because he knew you could do better."

"We weren't allowed our own lives, were we?" Claude mumbles softly, sighing lightly, "I am sorry I hit you though. If I hadn't…"

_"If _you hadn't, I probably would never have succeeded at all in the Academy."

"Did you ever get your licence?" Claude grins cheekily, cocking an eyebrow.

"No… I ran the day you sent me back to Gallifrey. They thought I murdered you and father… so I ran, and started traveling instead."

"Oh… sorry."

"So why now?"

"What?"

"Why come back now? Need a lift or what?"

"We're… the last? I dunno. Just felt the need to clear the air. I'm not exactly a Time Lord, Thete- sorry, Doctor. I can't travel like you do… You should know to watch your back through. Not all is as it seems. Something feels off, in time." Claude tilts his head before grinning and shrugging, "Sure you'll find it."

Before the Doctor can say anything, Claude hugs him strongly and gives his head a kiss, chuckling deeply.

"Drop by for a visit sometime, Doctor. I'll show you the sites. The ones normal people don't go to, that is."

"Where? I still can't remember where I dropped you off…"

"Yeah… about that… I might've burnt your mind a little too much when I was burying stuff… sorry about that too, but… yeah, New York. Just come down, park up, and I'll find you. Not like you're difficult to find."

With a grin, Claude opens the door, stalking out onto the busy streets of New York, slowly fading from site, the only noticeable things from him being the people muttering about being bumped into.


End file.
